ill 


DAMS 


MAKING  A 
ROCK  GARDEN 


THE 

HOUSE  &  GARDEN 
MAKING 

BOOKS 

IT  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  to  make 
this  series  of  little  volumes,  of  which  Making 
a  Rock  Garden  is  one,  a  complete  library  of 
authoritative  and  well  illustrated  handbooks 
dealing  with  the  activities  of  the  home-maker 
and  amateur  gardener.  Text,  pictures  and 
diagrams  will,  in  each  respective  book,  aim  to 
make  perfectly  clear  the  possibility  of  having, 
and  the  means  of  having,  some  of  the  more 
important  features  of  a  modern  country  or 
suburban  home.  Among  the  titles  already 
issued  or  planned  for  early  publication  are  the 
following:  Making  a  Rose  Garden;  Making  a 
Lawn;  Making  a  Tennis  Court;  Making  a  Fire- 
place; Making  Paths  and  Driveways;  Making 
a  Poultry  House;  Making  a  Garden  with  Hotbed 
and  Coldframe;  Making  Built-in  Bookcases, 
Shelves  and  Seats;  Making  a  Garden  to  Bloom 
This  Year?  Making  a  Water  Garden;  Making 
a  Garden  of  Perennials;  Making  the  Grounds 
Attractive  with  Shrubbery;  Making  a  Natural- 
ized Bulb  Garden;  with  others  to  be  announced 
later. 


MAKING  A 
ROCK  GARDEN 

By   H.  S.  ADAMS 


NEW    YORK 

McBRIDE,  NAST  &  COMPANY 
1912 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY 
McBRIDE,  NAST  &  CO. 


Published  May,  1912 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

THE  ROCK  GARDEN       .  1 


THE  CHOICE  OF  A  SITE         ...       6 

THE  WORK  OF  CONSTRUCTION  .  .13 

PLANTING  THE  GARDEN         .  .     24 

PLANTS  FOR  A  ROCK  GARDEN  .  .32 

THE  WALL  GARDEN      .        .  .  .45 

WATER  AND  BOG  GARDENS  .  .  .50 

252732 


THE     ILLUSTRATIONS 

AN  OUTCROPPING  BOULDER  CONVERTED 
INTO  A  HOCK  GARDEN        .         Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

A  FLIGHT   OF  STEPS  THROUGH  ROCK 
WORK 8 

AN  EXAMPLE  OF  GOOD  ROCK  GARDENING     16 

A  SMALL  BIT  OF  ROCK  WORK  WHERE 
Two  PATHS  DIVERGE         .         .         .26 

FOAM    FLOWER     AND    ONE    OF    THB 
SMALLER  FERNS         .         .         .         .34 

THE   ROCK   GARDEN  BUILT  ALONG  A 
MAIN  CURVING  PATH         .        .         .42 

A  WALL  GARDEN  PLANTED  IN  COLONIES     46 
A  FOUNTAIN  IN  A  WALL  GARDEN       .     50 


MAKING  A 
ROCK  GARDEN 


Making  a  Rock  Garden 

THE  ROCK  GARDEN 

T  N  Europe,  particularly  in  England,  the 
rock  garden  is  an  established  institu- 
tion with  a  distinct  following.  The  Eng- 
lish works  on  the  subject  alone  form  a 
considerable  bibliography. 

On  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  the  rock 
garden  is  so  little  understood  that  it  is 
an  almost  unconsidered  factor  in  the  beau- 
tifying of  the  home  grounds.  There  are 
a  few  notable  rock  gardens  in  this  coun- 
try, all  on  large  estates,  and  in  more  in- 
stances some  excellent  work  has  been  done 
on  a  smaller  and  less  complicated  scale 
either  by  actual  creation  or  by  taking  ad- 
vantage of  natural  opportunities.  But 


2  Making  a  Rock  Garden 

for  the  most  part  America  has  confined  its 
rock  garden  vision  principally  to  the  so- 
called  "  rockery." 

Now  a  rockery,  with  all  the  good  inten- 
tions lying  behind  it,  is  not  a  rock  garden. 
It  is  no  more  a  rock  garden  than  a  line 
of  cedars  planted  in  an  exact  circle  would 
be  a  wood.  A  rockery  is  generally  a  lot 
of  stones  stuck  in  a  pile  of  soil  or,  worse 
yet,  a  circular  array  of  stones  filled  in 
with  soil. 

A  rock  garden,  above  all  else,  is  not 
artificial;  at  least,  so  far  as  appearance 
goes.  It  is  a  garden  with  rocks.  The 
rocks  may  be  few  or  many,  they  may  have 
been  disposed  by  nature  or  the  hand  of 
man ;  but  always  the  effect  is  naturalistic, 
if  not  actually  natural.  The  rock  gar- 
den's one  and  only  creed  is  nature. 

Rock  gardens  are  of  so  many  legitimate 
— in  other  words,  natural — types,  that 


The  Rock  Garden  3 

there  is  not  the  slightest  excuse  for  a 
rockery.  Even  that  commonest  of  ex- 
cuses, finding  a  use  for  stray  stones,  falls 
to  the  ground.  Any  close  observer  of 
nature  is  familiar  with  these  types.  The 
natural  rock  gardens  range  from  the 
patches  of  alpine  plants  above  the  timber 
line  in  high  mountains  down  the  lower 
slopes  and  through  defiles  to  fields  on  or 
near  sea  level.  Not  infrequently  they 
come  down  to  the  very  sea,  while  sweet 
waters  commonly  define  and,  what  is  bet- 
ter, are  now  and  then  incorporated  in, 
them — here  a  pool,  there  a  brook.  The 
bog,  too,  the  heath  and  the  desert,  they 
take  unto  themselves,  though  perhaps  only 
the  nearer  edge.  And  does  man,  by  pon- 
derous effort,  raise  up  massive  masonry 
in  orderly  fashion ;  one  day  disorder  comes 
and  nature  makes  things  look  natural  by 
another  kind  of  rock  garden.  Rome's 


4  Making  a  Rock  Garden 

Coliseum  and  the  ruins  of  Kenilworth 
Castle  are  only  two  of  the  unnumbered 
examples  of  this. 

Here,  in  a  nutshell,  are  not  only  the 
natural  variations  of  the  rock  garden,  but 
the  inspiration.  No  rock  garden  worthy 
of  the  name  has  ever  been  created  by  man 
that  did  not  depend  upon  a  study  of  those 
that  nature  has  given  the  world  in  prodi- 
gal abundance.  There  were  the  why  and 
the  how  of  it  all,  and  man  simply  saw  and 
made  use  of  his  observations. 

The  advantages  of  a  rock  garden  are, 
primarily,  an  element  of  picturesqueness 
that  nothing  else  can  provide,  and  the  pos- 
session of  a  place  in  which  can  be  grown 
some  of  the  loveliest  flowers  on  earth  that, 
if  they  flourish  at  all,  will  never  do  as 
well  in  the  ordinary  garden  as  in  condi- 
tions more  or  less  approximating  their 
natural  habitat.  Also  it  may  be  made  a 


The  Rock  Garden  5 

pleasance  of  extraordinary  attractiveness. 
Occasionally — and  here  is  one  of  the  most 
important  things  to  be  learned  about  the 
rock  garden — it  is  the  veritable  key  to 
the  garden  situation;  there  are  small 
places  where  no  other  kind  is  worth  while, 
if  indeed  it  is  possible. 


THE  CHOICE  OF  A  SITE 

rilHE  best  site  for  a  rock  garden  is 
where  it  ought  to  be.  That  is  a  sad 
truth,  for  it  eliminates  some  homes  from 
the  game;  but  useless  waste  of  time  will 
be  saved  if  this  is  recognized  at  the  out- 
set. First  cast  your  eye  about  and  see 
if  you  have  a  spot  where  a  rock  garden 
would  look  as  if  it  belonged  there ;  that  is 
the  supreme  test.  If  one  does  not  seem 
to  belong  there,  give  up  the  idea  philo- 
sophically and  take  it  out  in  enjoying  the 
rock  gardens  of  other  people. 

As  a  rule  a  rock  garden  should  not  be 
near  the  house;  it  is  something  savoring 
of  the  wild  that  does  not  fit  in  with  most 

architecture.     Exceptions    are    when  sthe 
6 


The  Choice  of  a  Site  7 

house  is  on  a  rocky  site  that  makes  such 
planting  desirable,  if  not  imperative,  and 
a  slope  from  the  rear  or  one  side  of  a 
house  that  seems  decided  enough  to  per- 
mit of  a  sharp  break  in  the  general  land- 
scape treatment.  Save  in  these  circum- 
stances, it  is  better  that  it  should  not  be 
in  sight  of  the  house.  This  is  not  so 
hard  as  it  sounds ;  even  on  a  small  place, 
the  spot  is  easily  concealed  by  a  planting 
of  shrubbery. 

Nor  should  the  rock  garden,  any  more 
than  the  rockery,  be  in  the  lawn  unless  it 
is  depressed  and  therefore  out  of  sight, 
or  mainly  so,  from  the  level.  The  depres- 
sion may  be  a  natural  or  an  artificial  one, 
it  may  be  a  brook  with  high  banks  or  it 
may  be  a  sunken  pathway.  The  edge  of 
a  lawn  is  better,  a  corner  of  it  is  better 
yet,  and  preferable  to  either  is  a  bank 
sloping  down  from  it.  The  bank  on  either 


8  Making  a  Rock  Garden 

side  of  steps  leading  from  one  lawn  level  to 
another  is  also  a  possibility  to  be  con- 
sidered. 

Trees  need  not  be  altogether  avoided; 
sometimes  they  are  essential  to  the  pic- 
torial effect.  It  is  not  well,  however,  to 
place  a  rock  garden  near  very  large  trees. 
The  drip  is  bad,  especially  for  alpines, 
and  the  greedy  roots  not  only  rob  the 
plants  of  nourishment  but  are  very  apt 
to  dislocate  the  stones. 

Somewhere  just  outside  the  real  gar- 
den is  the  best  place;  then  it  is  only  a 
step  from  one  little  world  into  another 
that  is  altogether  different.  If  the  rock 
garden  leads  to  a  bit  of  wood,  either  di- 
rectly or  through  a  wild  garden,  there 
will  be  all  the  more  to  rejoice  over.  The 
more  irregularity  the  site  has,  or  suggests, 
the  better ;  a  rock  garden  not  only  should 
have  no  straight  lines,  but  it  is  not  well 


Wherever  possible  make  the  entrance  to  the  rock 
garden  a  rough  flight  of  steps.  Excavate  if 
necessary.  Plant  the  step  crevices  as  well  as 
those  of  the  side  walls 


The  Choice  of  a  Site  9 

that  all  of  it  should  be  comprehended  in 
a  single  view — no  matter  whether  the  area 
be  large  or  small. 

What  constitutes  a  good  site  is  well  il- 
lustrated by  one  of  the  existing  American 
rock  gardens.  The  place  is  large,  and  in 
the  rear  of  the  house  the  grounds  are  level 
for  a  considerable  distance  and  then  drop 
with  a  fairly  steep  bank  to  a  driveway, 
below  which  another  terrace  leads  to  a 
meadow.  Instead  of  being  continuous, 
however,  the  bank  above  the  driveway  is 
broken  by  a  little  glen,  seemingly  leading 
nowhere,  but  actually  an  entrance  to  both 
the  rear  lawn  and  the  formal  garden.  In 
this  glen  is  the  rock  garden,  or  rather  the 
main  part  of  it.  Though  bounded  on  the 
north — it  runs  east  and  west — by  the 
formal  garden  and  on  the  south  by  the 
lawn,  the  rock  garden  can  be  seen  from 
neither  of  these,  nor  from  the  house.  It 


io         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

is  conveniently  near  all  three,  yet  dis- 
tinctly apart  from  all.  A  thin  planting 
of  evergreens  screens  it  on  the  south  and 
east  sides,  and  there  is  a  low  hedge  between 
it  and  the  formal  garden.  The  rock  gar- 
den overflows  the  glen  and  runs  along  the 
bank  on  either  side,  the  shady  section  be- 
ing devoted  to  an  extensive  collection  of 
hardy  ferns.  Across  the  driveway  there 
is  more  rock  garden  and  then  a  short 
stretch  of  dry  wall  garden.  Such  a  site  as 
this  does  not  have  to  be  found  all  made. 
Given  any  grounds  with  a  bank,  and  a 
little  imagination,  and  a  glen  is  a  mere 
matter  of  shoveling  soil.  Call  it  a  gorge, 
if  you  prefer.  Either,  in  miniature,  is 
a  favored  rock  garden  form;  so  are  hill 
and  crest. 

Thus  far  the  assumption  has  been  that 
the  rocks  have  to  be  gathered  up  from 
various  parts  of  the  place  or  brought  in 


The  Choice  of  a  Site  n 

from  the  outside.  But  many  grounds,  es- 
pecially those  of  country  places,  have  the 
rocks ;  often  more  than  are  wanted.  Al- 
though sometimes  this  is  the  best  of  luck, 
now  and  then  the  trouble  of  blasting  and 
rearranging  is  about  as  great  as  if  all 
the  stone  had  to  be  found.  It  does,  never- 
theless, make  easier  the  choice  of  a  site; 
'  where  rocks  are  naturally,  there  they 
ought  to  be.  Occasionally  the  rocks  are 
so  disposed  that  there  is  no  choice ;  the 
site  settles  itself  and  it  is  up  to  you  to 
make  the  most  of  it. 

A  single  boulder,  a  few  scattered  rocks, 
or  a  rocky  bank  can  be  converted  into  a 
simple  rock  garden  without  moving  a 
stone.  A  little  judicious  planting  and  the 
transformation  is  complete. 

A  rock  garden  with  water  is  a  rock  gar- 
den glorified.  Wherever  possible,  without 
injury  to  the  main  scheme,  the  garden 


12         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

should  be  brought  to  the  water.  Failing 
that,  bring  the  water  to  it,  if  this  is  prac- 
ticable ;  which  can  be  determined  when  the 
site  is  picked  out. 


THE  WORK  OF  CONSTRUCTION 

QJPRING  is  the  best  time  to  make  a 
^^  rock  garden.  When  the  important 
matter  of  the  proper  site  has  been  put  in 
the  past,  a  definite  scheme  must  be 
planned.  Upon  the  definiteness  of  this 
scheme,  much  of  the  success  of  the  rock 
garden  will  depend.  Here  desire  will  have 
to  be  subservient  to  the  situation.  It  is 
not  so  much  what  you  want  as  what  is 
best  in  the  circumstances. 

.  Do  not  attempt  slavishly  to  copy  the 
rock  garden  of  some  one  else.  All  the 
money  in  the  world  would  not  create  an 
exact  duplicate  for  you,  since  nature  has 
made  no  two  rocks  precisely  alike.  Study 
them,  of  course ;  get  all  the  ideas  you  can. 

But  study  first,  and  most,  nature — more 
13 


14         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

particularly  its  ways  in  your  own  neigh- 
borhood. Anywhere  there  is  abundant  op- 
portunity. Take  a  leaf  or  two  from  the 
book  of  the  Japanese  gardeners.  They 
are  past-masters  of  the  art  of  making 
rock  gardens,  with  a  bit  of  water  thrown 
jn.  They  make  use  of  comparatively  few 
blossoming  plants,  but  their  example  is 
invaluable  Jn  the  disposition  of  rocks  with 
simple  effectiveness,  in  the  simulation  of 
height  and  distance,  in  the  proper  employ- 
ment of  turf,  and  in  the  planting  of  such 
small  trees  and  shrubs  as  are  suitable  for 
a  rock  garden  scheme.  • 

Measure  carefully  the  space  at  com- 
mand, and  then  lay  out  the  plan  on  cross- 
ruled  paper.  Call  each  of  the  little 
squares  a  square  foot  and  the  labor  will 
be  made  easy.  Next,  figure  out  a  good 
entrance,  and,  if  possible,  an  equally  good 
exit — the  one  invisible  from  the  other. 


The  Work  of  Construction       15 

Then  outline  the  main  path,  which  should 
be  as  devious  as  the  situation  allows,  and, 
if  byways  cannot  be  added,  provide  for 
bays,  or  more  pronounced  recesses.  Re- 
member that  you  are  not  merely  to  simu- 
late nature ;  you  are,  by  a  process  of  com- 
pressing much  in  little,  to  epitomize  it. 

Then  comes  the  selection  of  the  rocks. 
Usually  the  rock  close  at  hand,  perhaps 
on  the  very  grounds,  will  answer  every 
purpose.  If  you  are  not  fortunate  enough 
to  own  any,  very  likely  there  is  more  than 
one  townsman  who  will  be  glad  to  give 
you  all  the  boulders  and  smaller  rocks  that 
you  want,  if  you  will  only  remove  them 
from  spots  where  they  are  not  desired. 
The  cost  of  removal,  even  in  the  case  of 
boulders  of  fair  size,  is  not  great. 

Barring  quartz  rock,  which  does  not 
look  well,  almost  any  kind  of  natural 
stone  may  be  made  use  of  to  the  best 


1 6         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

advantage.  Artificial  stone  should  be 
shunned  like  the  plague.  Limestone  and 
sandstone  are  good  materials;  granite  is 
better.  Granite,  however,  does  not  strat- 
ify, and  if  stratified  effects  are  desired, 
another  stone  must  be  selected.  A  good 
plan  is  to  use  more  than  one  kind,  but  to 
keep  them  properly  apart.  Weather- 
beaten  granite  is  excellent  material,  and, 
in  general,  it  is  well  to  have  the  rock  look 
anything  but  newly  quarried.  Pick  out 
some  rocks  with  a  growth  of  lichen  on 
them,  and  be  sure  that  this  is  not  dis- 
turbed by  the  moving. 

Boulders  may  run  up  to  several  tons 
in  weight.  Where  none  is  readily  ob- 
tainable, one  can  be  simulated  by  in- 
geniously combining  a  few  small  ones  and 
concealing  the  joints  by  the  planting  of 
such  things  as  stonecrops  in  earth — which, 
save  in  rare  cases  of  sheer  necessity,  is 


The  Work  of  Construction       17 

always  used  in  the  construction  of  a  rock 
garden  in  place  of  mortar. 

If  the  site  is  level,  the  next  step  is  to 
change  all  that — first  on  paper.  Unless 
the  lay  of  the  land  is  all  right  at  the  out- 
set, the  configuration  of  the  rock  garden 
must  not  depend  wholly  upon  the  upbuild- 
ing; there  must  be  some  excavations,  but 
no  depressions  deep  enough  to  catch  and 
hold  water  just  where  you  will  want  to 
walk. 

Aside  from  the  path  levels,  building  be- 
gins with  the  rocks,  not  with  the  soil. 
This  is  a  highly  important  point.  Place 
the  boulders  first ;  they  are  the  big  effects. 
Aside  from  that,  the  heaviest  work  will 
be  out  of  the  way.  Then  start  in  with 
the  outlining  base  rocks.  These  should 
be  placed  with  the  largest  surface  to  the 
ground  and  should  vary  in  size.  It  is 
not  essential  that  the  lowest  rocks  should 


1 8         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

be  slightly  buried  in  the  ground,  but  that 
course  is  preferable. 

When  the  paths  and  outer  margins 
have  been  thus  defined,  scatter  more  rocks 
over  the  intervening  surface,  placing  them 
fairly  thick  but  not  close  together.  Next, 
fill  in  with  soil,  packing  it  firmly  and 
ramming  it  hard  into  every  crevice.  If 
it  fits  in  with  the  day's  work,  it  is  not  a 
bad  plan  to  water  the  rock  work  well  in 
order  to  pack  the  soil,  and  when  resuming 
the  labor  on  the  morrow,  to  add  more 
soil,  well  pressed  down,  before  proceeding 
with  the  second  layer  of  rock. 

This  second  layer  should  have  the  rocks 
placed  with  the  front  edge  slightly  back 
from  that  of  the  lower  row  in  order  to 
form  a  slope,  though  an  occasional  over- 
hang may  be  fashioned  if  required  for  a 
certain  plant  known  to  abhor  a  drip  from 
above.  The  construction  then  proceeds 


The  Work  of  Construction       19 

as  before,  until  the  desired  height  is 
reached.  The  height  is  entirely  arbitrary, 
but  some  points  should  be  at  least  as  high 
as  the  line  of  vision,  as  one  of  the  great 
advantages  of  a  rock  garden  is  the  pleas- 
ure of  enjoying  some  of  the  typical  rock 
plants  without  stooping.  The  rocks  used 
as  fillers  should  overlap  here  and  there 
to  give  strength,  but  care  must  be  taken 
to  contrive  plenty  of  long  soil  runs. 
Eighteen  inches  should  be  the  very  least, 
A  plant  like  the  alpine  androsace  is  a  tiny 
rosette,  seemingly  requiring  no  more  than 
an  inch  or  two  of  soil,  but  its  roots  are 
likely  to  be  found  following  an  earth- 
filled  crevice  in  the  rocks  to  the  depth  of 
a  yard  or  so.  It  is  because  of  this  deep 
penetration  of  roots  that  the  soil  should 
be  packed  so  very  firm ;  the  roots  must  be, 
in  no  danger  of  loose  soil  or  of  striking 
a  hidden  hollow. 


2O         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

At  no  point  between  two  stones  should 
the  layer  of  soil  be  less  than  two  or  three 
inches  thick  after  being  packed  hard.  If 
an  upper  stone  is  likely  to  bear  down  too 
heavily  and  crush  the  plant  roots,  this 


Where  a  rock  would  bear  too  heavily  on  the  one 
below  it,  even  with  soil  between,  the  pressure 
may  be  relieved  by  the  use  of  small  stones. 
The  soil  run  need  not  be  straight,  but  it  must 
be  continuous,  so  that  the  roots  of  the  plant 
may  find  their  way  from  A  through  to  B 


may  be  avoided  by  placing  small  stones 
here  and  there  in  the  layer  of  soil.  The 
roots  will  work  between  these  stones,  but 
there  must  be  a  continuous,  though  not 
necessarily  straight,  soil  run  from  the 
front  of  the  rock  work  to  the  solid  filling 


The  Work  of  Construction      21 

of  earth.  The  run  should  slope  downward 
slightly. 

Rocks  calculated  to  simulate  a  natural 
stratification  ought  to  be  laid  on  an  in- 
cline for  proper  drainage.  Such  pieces 
of  rock  may  also  be  employed  sparsely  in 
wedging,  and  in  the  making  of  the  so- 
called  "pockets." 

These  pockets  are  of  prime  importance 
in  the  construction  of  a  rock  garden. 
They  hold  the  only  considerable  spaces  of 
soil  and  are  the  chief  means  of  colonizing 
plants,  thus  providing  for  pronounced 
color  effects.  They  should  break  the 
slopes  and  be  irregular  in  size,  shape,  and 
distribution.  The  large  ones  may  be  easily 
subdivided  by  small  stones  when  the  plant- 
ing is  done  if  a  further  separation  of 
species  is  desirable.  The  soil  must  slope 
a  little  from  the  top,  so  that  there  will 
be  no  standing  water. 


22         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

The  drainage  of  a  rock  garden  is  of 
vital  importance.  There  must  be  plenty 
of  moisture  stowed  away  behind  the  rocks 


Cross-section  of  rock  garden  construction,  show- 
ing shallow  (A)  and  deep  (B)  soil  pockets; 
tilting  and  wedging  of  rocks  (C) ;  bridging 
(D),  and  perpendicular  crevice  soil  run  (E). 
Two  to  three  inches  of  soil  between  all  joints. 
The  lowest  rocks  are  partly  buried 


against  the  heat  of  summer,  but  all  excess 
must  be  carried  away.  The  garden  should 
drain  naturally,  as  the  hills  do.  If  any 
doubt  exists,  make  a  drainage  bed  of  eight 


The  Work  of  Construction       23 

inches  of  clinkers  before  starting  to  lay 
the  stones. 

The  soil  should  be  a  good  loam  with  a 
little  peat,  and  stones  varying  in  size  from 
a  mustard  seed  to  an  almond.  A  little 
manure  may  be  used,  but  it  must  be  old. 


PLANTING  THE  GARDEN 

fTlHERE  are  two  ways  of  planting  a 
rock  garden.  One  is  to  do  all  the 
crevice  planting  along  with  the  building, 
and  the  other,  of  course,  is  to  defer  every- 
thing until  the  rocks  are  in  place  and  the 
soil  thoroughly  settled. 

The  former  plan  is  a  singularly  appeal- 
ing, as  well  as  practical,  one.  There  is 
something  fascinating  in  finishing  com- 
pletely a  part  of  the  work  as  one  goes 
along.  The  practical  advantage  lies 
chiefly  in  the  fact  that  by  this  method 
good-sized  plants  may  be  firmly  estab- 
lished in  crevices  at  the  very  outset.  The 
soil  in  that  case  should  be  put  part  way 
in  the  crevice  and  packed  down.  Then 

some  loose  soil  sprinkled  on  top,  and  the 
24 


Planting  the  Garden  25 

plant,  with  the  earth  well  shaken  from 
the  roots,  unless  it  has  a  tap  root,  laid 
down  horizontally  with  the  crown  just  out- 
side the  edge  of  the  soil.  Next  spread  the 
roots  to  follow  the  soil  run;  fill  up  the 
crevice  with  more  soil,  packed  well,  and 
follow  with  more  plants  of  the  same  kind. 
Use  small  stones  to  wedge  plants  where  it 
appears  necessary.  Plants  that  hang 
down  should  be  placed  in  the  higher  crev- 
ices; this  must  be  all  thought  out  before- 
hand. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  planting  plan 
cannot  be  too  thoroughly  thought  out  in 
advance.  At  point  after  point  it  dove- 
tails with  the  structural  plan,  which  must 
accord  with  the  requirements  of  what 
may  be  called  the  more  difficult  rock  plants 
— the  alpines,  some  of  the  ferns,  and  those 
plants  that  fit  in  well  with  rock  work  but 
demand  more  than  the  ordinary  garden 


26         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

moisture.  The  best  way  is  to  decide  what 
plants  are  most  desirable  in  the  circum- 
stances, omitting,  as  a  rule,  the  difficult  or 
"  finicky  "  ones ;  there  will  be  plenty  of 
time  to  experiment  with  those  when  you 
have  more  experience.  Make  a  face  plan 
of  the  several  sections  of  the  rock  work 
and  mark  on  it  where  the  plants  are  to 
go.  Use  numbers,  each  corresponding  to 
a  species. 

The  general  idea  is  that  all  the  soil  shall 
be  concealed,  not  necessarily  at  the  mo- 
ment of  planting,  but  at  the  end  of  one 
or  two  seasons'  growth.  Unless  you  are 
a  collector,  variety  is  of  little  importance. 
The  main  thing  is  that  there  shall  be 
beauty  as  a  whole,  a  few  marked  seasonal 
effects  of  color  with  massed  bloom  and 
some  green  the  year  round;  the  garden 
must  never  be  bare  at  any  time,  as  nature 
will  show  you.  Plants  clustered  here  and 


Planting  the  Garden  27 

single  there  is  a  good  planting  rule.  Colo- 
nies, always  of  marked  irregularity,  ought 
to  merge  into  one  another,  but  they  should 
not  so  overrun  the  rock  work  that  no 
stones  are  in  sight.  Not  infrequently 
some  of  the  best  effects  are  obtained  where 
more  rock  than  flowers  is  seen.  A  boulder, 
for  example,  calls  for  the  contrast  of 
plants,  perhaps  only  a  few  low-growing 
ones  in  a  natural  pocket,  rather  than  a 
semi-eclipse.  As  a  rule,  plant  one  hun- 
dred of  half  a  dozen  or  so  suitable,  and 
easy,  species  in  preference  to  fifty  or  more 
kinds. 

Study  at  the  same  time  the  form  of  the 
plants  that  are  to  be  used ;  some  quickly  re- 
solve themselves  into  a  carpet,  some  never 
get  beyond  mere  tufts,  some  always  grow 
straight  up,  some  prefer  to  hang  down, 
and  some  have  foliage  that  is  evergreen 
or  nearly  so.  To  be  more  specific,  one 


28         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

plant  of  Saponaria  ocymoides  will  spread 
out  over  four  square  feet  of  soil,  and  thus 
fill  completely  a  moderate-sized  pocket, 
whereas  to  conceal  the  same  amount  of 
ground  three  dozen  auriculas  might  have 
to  be  used.  The  same  is  true  of  the  white 
rock  cress  (Arabis  albida).  So,  too,  with 
a  crevice.  A  single  plant  of  one  of  the 
trailing  stonecrops  would  fill  it,  perhaps, 
when  a  number  of  rosettes  of  the  smaller 
kinds  of  house  leek  would  be  called  for. 

Tall  plants,  like  the  foxglove,  may 
sometimes  be  used,  in  a  small  group,  at 
the  end  of  a  bay  on  the  level  of  the  path; 
but  they  are  best  placed  behind  the  rock 
work,  as  a  background,  or  as  dominating 
features  of  the  entrance  or  exit  of  the 
garden.  At  the  entrance  or  exit  such 
bold  plants  make  a  good  bridge  between 
the  rock  garden  and  the  outer  grounds. 
Spreading  and  trailing  plants  should  be 


Planting  the  Garden  29 

placed  a  foot  or  more  above  the  path  level 
and  most  plants  with  tufts  or  rosettes  of 
foliage.  If  the  path  is  broad  enough  some 
of  the  wide-spreading  plants  may  go  at 
the  base  of  the  rocks,  but  the  rule  there 
is  to  use  those  of  moderate  spread,  with 
a  few  tufted  plants  and  some  that  grow 
upright,  but  are  not  tall,  to  lend  variety. 
When  the  path  is  of  flat  stones,  irregular 
in  both  size  and  placing,  this  growth 
should  fill  all  the  soil  space — even  between 
the  stones.  Such  a  path  will  be  found 
more  than  worth  while,  and  not  as  much  of 
an  undertaking  as  it  may  seem. 

Obvious  considerations  are  that  plants 
with  a  decided  hankering  after  moisture 
or  shade  should  be  favored  in  the  matter 
of  location,  though  it  is  astonishing  how 
adaptive  many  of  them  are. 

Do  not  plant  the  weak  next  to  the 
strong.  Unless  you  are  a  gardener  of 


30         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

eternal  vigilance,  the  weak  will  have  the 
worst  of  it  before  you  realize  what  a  mis- 
take you  have  made. 

Finally,  do  not  forget  that  planting  is 
not  the  end;  it  is  only  the  beginning — of 
planting.  So  long  as  the  rock  garden  ex- 
ists there  will  always  be  planting.  Normal 
mortality  will  necessitate  some,  there  will 
be  thinning  out,  and  time  will  suggest  ad- 
ditions and  more  or  less  rearrangement. 

And  with  the  planting  goes  on  the 
continual  care,  much  of  which  can  be  done 
in  the  course  of  the  daily  walk  in  the  gar- 
den, and  therefore  the  loss  of  time  will  not 
be  felt.  Water  in  case  of  a  real  drought, 
but  use  a  sprinkler,  and  do  not  stop  until 
the  ground  has  been  soaked  to  a  depth  of 
a  few  inches.  Mere  surface  watering  is 
bad  enough  in  the  ordinary  garden;  in  a 
rock  garden  it  is  a  fatal  error,  as  the 
growth  of  roots  near  the  top  of  the  soil 


Planting  the  Garden  31 

leaves  the  plants  in  no  condition  to  stand 
the  full  force  of  the  summer  sun. 

Go  over  the  garden  thoroughly  once  a 
year  and  all  the  time  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
for  weeds.  If  the  soil  is  heavy,  top-dress 
with  grit  in  the  fall.  Grit  is  good  for 
rock  plants.  Stone  chips  placed  around 
a  plant  will  prevent  too  much  dampness 
lodging  about  the  collar  in  winter.  Watch 
out  for  weak  spots  after  very  heavy  rains. 


PLANTS  FOR  A  ROCK  GARDEN 

many  plants  are  suitable  for  a  rock 
garden  that  the  range  of  choice  is  be- 
wildering. In  this,  as  in  the  laying  out 
of  the  garden,  advisability  takes  prece- 
dence over  pure  personal  desire,  though, 
very  fortunately,  it  is  often  not  difficult 
to  make  the  two  go  hand  in  hand ;  a  little 
intelligent  thought  helps  a  lot. 

To  the  beginner,  no  better  advice  can 
be  given  than  that  which  applies  to  the 
picking  out  of  the  rocks — use  the  material 
which  is  close  at  hand.  This  is  not,  by 
any  means,  a  mere  suggestion  to  follow 
the  lines  of  least  resistance.  It  is  far 
more.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  always 

an  endless  amount  of  beautiful  and  suita- 
32 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       33 

ble  plant  life  to  be  had  without  going  far 
afield.  Then  again,  natural  harmonious 
effects  in  your  immediate  neighborhood 
are  pretty  sure  to  be  appropriate  to  your 
grounds.  Finally,  you  can  see  for  your- 
self how  things  grow,  and  as  for  the  hardi- 
ness of  plants,  you  have  it  already  tested 
for  you.  This  refers  not  alone  to  the  nat- 
ural conditions;  there  is  a  second  wide 
field  in  the  gardens — the  hardy  gardens — 
of  others,  where  you  can  at  once  choose 
from  the  many  and  learn  whether  certain 
plants  are  too  tender  or  require  too  much 
care  for  your  use. 

So  far  as  plants  native  to  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood  are  concerned,  their 
value  to  the  rock  garden  of  the  average 
person  with  limited  time,  who  is  not  ob- 
sessed with  the  idea  of  growing  the  rare 
and  curious,  cannot  be  overestimated. 
And  they  are  so  many;  more  than  most 


34         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

realize,  and  often  of  an  individual  beauty 
not  always  appreciated  in  the  bewildering 
profusion  of  the  wild  but  plainly  apparent 
when  an  individual,  or  a  little  group,  is 
open  to  close  study  in  a  rock  garden.  Do 
not  make  the  rather  common  mistake  of 
thinking  that  they  are  too  familiar  to  be 
interesting;  they  are  never  likely  to  be. 
And,  honestly,  can  you  say  in  your  heart 
that  they  are? 

For  a  Connecticut  rock  garden  the 
Greek  valerian  (Polemonium  reptans) 
must  be  purchased,  unless  a  neighbor  can 
spare  some  from  his  collection  of  old-fash- 
ioned flowers;  there  it  belongs  in  that 
category.  But  why  should  you  of  Min- 
nesota or  Missouri  deny  so  beautiful  a 
flower  a  place  in  your  rock  garden,  simply 
because  you  have  only  to  go  to  the  woods 
for  it  ?  The  English  enthusiast  brings  * 
home  primroses  from  the  Himalayas,  gen- 


Native  plants  are  excellent  material  for  the 
rock  garden.  The  foam  flower  ( Tiaretta  cordi- 
folia)  at  the  top,  and  one  of  the  smaller  ferns 
at  the  bottom 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       35 

tians  from  the  Swiss  Alps,  and  Dryas 
Drummondi  from  the  Canadian  Rockies 
for  his  rock  garden,  but  he  does  not  fail 
to  take  advantage  of  some  of  the  common 
things  near-by — even  the  "  pale  primrose  " 
and  the  cowslip. 

From  ferns  alone,  or  from  only  plants 
of  shrubby  growth,  a  most  beautiful  na- 
tive rock  garden  may  be  made.  And  add- 
ing small  flowering  plants,  or  excluding 
all  else,  there  are  limitless  opportunities. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  A's  rock  gar- 
den in  Maine  will  not  be  like  B's  in  Louisi- 
ana ;  but  there  is  no  law  compelling  it 
to  be. 

Among  the  common  wild  flowers  of  the 
East  that  take  on  unexpected  new  beauty 
when  transferred  to  the  rock  garden  are 
the  celandine  (Chelidonium  ma  jus),  straw- 
berry (Frag  aria  Virginica),  cranesbill 
(Geranium  maculatum),  toadflax  (Linaria 


36         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

vulgaris),  orange  hawkweed  (Hieracium 
auranticum),  herb  Robert  {Geranium  Ro- 
bertianum),  coltsfoot  (Tussilago  Far- 
fara),  Solomon's  seal  (Polygonatum  bi- 
floritm),  foam  flower  (Tiarella  cordifolia), 
bloodroot  (Sanguinarla  Canadensis),  and 
some  of  the  violets.  These  are  but  a  few 
names,  and  random  ones  at  that.  Some 
of  them,  the  coltsfoot,  cranesbill,  celan- 
dine, and  toadflax,  spread  too  rapidly,  but 
by  careful  watching  and  not  allowing  the 
seed  to  ripen,  they  may  be  kept  within 
bounds.  There  are  many  such  plants  that 
will  take  all  the  room  in  sight  if  they  are 
allowed  to,  and  they  must  be  watched 
closely,  or  else  discarded  altogether. 
Some  of  them  answer  a  good  purpose  by 
giving  the  rock  garden  a  quick  start,  after 
which  they  may  easily  be  reduced  or 
thrown  out  altogether.  There  need  be  no 
compunction  about  discarding.  Certain 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       37 

plants,  like  certain  friends,  you  enjoy  hav- 
ing for  a  visit,  but  do  not  care  to  see  re- 
main forever  and  a  day. 

Annuals  as  a  class  are  not  desirable  for 
the  rock  garden;  for  one  thing,  the  care 
of  renewal  is  too  great.  Biennials  are  al- 
most as  much  care,  but  in  each  case  there 
will  always  be  exceptions  that  are  a  mat- 
ter of  individual  preference.  Few,  for 
example,  would  have  the  heart  to  reject 
the  dainty  little  purple  toadflax  of 
Switzerland  (Linarla  alpina),  just  be- 
cause it  is  a  biennial.  The  main  depend- 
ence, however,  must  be  placed  on  peren- 
nials— the  plants  that,  barring  accidents, 
last  indefinitely.  These  should  be  mostly 
species;  if  horticultural,  do  not  use  the 
bizarre — Darwin  tulips,  for  example,  or 
the  Madame  Chereau  iris.  Nor,  with  rare 
exceptions,  should  double  flowers  be  used. 
A  double  daffodil  looks  horribly  out  of 


38         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

place,  while  the  double  white  rock  cress 
(Arabis  albida)  will  pass. 

The  easy  rock  garden  plants,  where  the 
material  is  not  taken  from  the  wild,  are 
to  be  found  in  most  of  the  large  hardy 
gardens  of  the  East.  Some  of  them  are 
natives  of  Europe  or  Asia,  and  more  than 
is  commonly  suspected  are  at  home  in 
other  parts  of  the  United  States.  Among 
the  best  of  these  for  carpets  of  bloom  are 
Phlox  subulata,  Phlox  amcena,  Aubrietia 
deltoidea,  maiden  pink  (Dianthus  del- 
toides),  blue  bugle  (Ajuga  Genevensls), 
white  bugle  {Ajuga  reptans},  woolly 
chickweed  (Cerastium  tomentosum), 
creeping  thyme  (Thymus  serpyllum}, 
dwarf  speedwell  (Veronica  repens),  Sa- 
ponaria  ocymoides,  alpine  mint  (Cala- 
mintha  alpina),  and  pink,  white,  and  yel- 
low stonecrops  (sedum).  All  of  them 
fairly  hug  the  ground.  There  are  other 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       39 

plants  that  form  a  carpet  of  foliage,  but 
the  flower  stalks  rise  higher.  These  in- 
clude white  rock  cress  (Arabis  albida), 
the  permissible  double  buttercup  (Ranun- 
culus acris  ft.  /??.),  the  also  permissible 
double  German  catchfly  (Lychnis  vis- 
caria),  another  double  flower,  "  fair  maids 
of  France "  (Ranunculus  aconitifolius), 
Carpathian  bellflower  (Campanula  Car- 
patica),  grass  pink  (Dianthus  pluma- 
rius),  Iris  pumila,  crested  iris  (Iris  cris- 
tata),  Christmas  rose  (Helleborus  niger), 
Phlox  divaricata,  Phlox  ovata,  Phlox  re- 
pens,  foam  flower  (Tiarella  cordifolia), 
Veronica  incana9  Alyssum  saxatile,  Saxi- 
fraga  cordifolia,  and  various  avens 
(geum). 

Several  of  the  primulas  give  a  like  ef- 
fect if  the  planting  is  close — as  it  should 
be  in  a  pocket.  The  best  are  the  Eng- 
lish primrose  (Primula  vulgaris),  cowslip 


40         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

(P.  veris),  oxlip  (P.  elatior),  bird's  eye 
(P.  farinosa),  yellow  auricula  (P.  au- 
ricula), P.  denticulata,  and  P.  Cor- 
tusoides.  Similarly,  spring  bulbs  may  be 
employed ;  plant  them,  for  the  most  part, 
under  a  ground  cover  so  that  the  soil  will 
not  show  when  they  die  down.  Of  the 
tulips,  single  ones  of  the  early  and  cot- 
tage types  may  be  used,  if  in  a  solid  color, 
but  most  to  be  preferred  are  the  species, 
such  as  the  sweet  yellow  (Florentine)  tu- 
lip of  Southern  Europe  and  the  little  lady 
tulip  (Tulipa  Clusiana).  Crocuses  are 
also  best  in  type  forms,  and  the  small,  sin- 
gle, yellow  trumpet  kinds  are  the  finest 
daffodil  material.  Single  white  or  blue 
hyacinths  may  be  used,  but  better  than 
the  stiff  spikes  of  bloom  of  new  bulbs  will 
be  the  looser  clusters  of  bulbs  that  have 
begun  to  "  run  out  "  in  the  border.  Other 
valuable  bulbs  are  the  snowdrop,  Scilla 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       41 

Sibirica,  glory-of-the-snow  ( Chwnodoxa 
Lucilice),  guinea-hen  flower  (Fritillaria 
Meleagris),  grape  hyacinth  (Muscari  bo- 
tryoides),  Triteleia  uniftora,  Allium 
Moly,  and  the  wood  and  Spanish  hya- 
cinths (Scilla  nutans  and  campanulata). 
Taller  plants  that  may  be  worked  in, 
oftentimes  best  with  only  a  single  speci- 
men or  small  clump,  are  autumn  aconite 
(Aconitum  autumnale),  Yucca  filamen- 
tosa,  leopard's  bane  (doronicum),  single 
peonies  (either  herbaceous  or  tree),  Ger- 
man, Japanese,  and  Siberian  iris,  as  well 
as  the  yellow  flag  (Iris  pseudacorus),  sin- 
gle columbines,  Anemone  Japonic  a,  Heme- 
rocallis  flava,  Sedum  spectabile,  Dielytra 
spectabile,  Dielytra  formosa,  Jacob's  lad- 
der (Polemonicum  Richardsonii) ,  fraxi- 
nella,  Anthemis  tvnctoria,  single  Campa- 
nula persicifolia,  Campanula  rapunculoi- 
des,  Campanula  gloinerata,  globe  flower 


42         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

(trollius),  snapdragon  (antirrhinum), 
platycodon,  lavender  (where  it  is  proven 
hardy),  and  musk  mallow  (Malva  mos- 
chata). 

Of  the  lilies,  Lilium  Philadelphicum,  L. 
elegans,  L.  speciosum,  and  L.  longiflorum 
are  all  desirable,  and  they  thrive  in  partial 
shade,  though  in  Japan  L.  elegans  will  be 
found  standing  out  from  the  rocks  in  full 
sunshine.  For  peering  over  into  the  rock 
garden,  rather  than  being  placed  in  it,  L. 
Canadense,  L.  tigrinum,  and  L.  superbum 
are  recommended. 

The  pick  of  the  low  shrubs  are  the 
charming  Daphne  cneorum,  which  flour- 
ishes better  for  being  lifted  above  the  ordi- 
nary garden  level,  and  Azalea  amcena. 
The  latter,  however,  should  be  so  placed 
that  its  trying  solferino  does  not  make 
a  bad  color  clash.  Rhododendrons  and 
mountain  laurel  fringe  a  rock  garden  well, 


Plants  for  a  Rock  Garden       43 

and  with  one  trailing  juniper  (Juniperus 
procumbens)  will  provide  a  great  deal  of 
the  refreshing  winter  green. 

Single  roses,  the  species,  fit  in  well 
where  there  is  room  for  them.  Good  ones 
are  R.  setigera,  R.  rubiginosa,  R.  Wichu- 
raiana,  all  rampant,  and  the  low  R. 
blanda.  The  roses  would  better  be  at  or 
near  the  entrance  or  exit,  or  far  enough 
above  the  rock  work  not  to  ramble  over 
small  plants. 

The  plants  in  this  list  cover  all  seasons 
and  vary  somewhat  in  their  soil  and  mois- 
ture requirements.  But  the  variation  is 
nothing  beyond  the  ordinary  garden 
knowledge.  Most  will  do  better  if  their 
preferences  are  considered,  but  none  is  apt 
to  perish  with  average  care. 

Alpines,  as  a  class,  would  better  be  left 
to  the  amateur  with  the  time,  money,  and 
disposition  to  specialize.  Most  of  them 


44         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

take  kindly  to  being  transferred  from  a 
mile  or  more  up  in  the  air  to  sea  level; 
the  edelweiss,  for  one,  grows  here  readily 
from  seed,  and  the  exquisitely  beautiful 
Gentlana  acaulis  thrives  in  American  rock 
gardens.  But,  on  the  whole,  alpines  do 
not  do  as  well  here  as  in  England,  where 
the  summer  climate  is  not  so  hard  on 
them.  When  they  flourish  here,  it  is  at 
the  cost  of  a  great  amount  of  professional 
care. 


THE  WALL  GARDEN 

A  WALL  garden  is  a  perpendicular 
rock  garden.  But  whereas  a  rock 
garden  is  of  all  things  irregular,  a  wall 
garden  has  regularity.  The  wall  need  not 
be  a  straight  line;  it  is  better  that  one 
end  should  describe  a  curve,  and  rocks  at 
the  base  may  give  it  further  irregularity. 
Yet  it  can  never  quite  lose  the  air  of 
man's  handiwork.  The  prime  object  of 
the  gardening  on  it  is  to  reduce  this  air 
to  a  minimum. 

The  way  to  make  a  wall  garden  is  to 
build  a  dry  wall  of  rough  stones — that  is, 
a  wall  without  mortar.  Instead  use  soil 
and  pack  it  tight  in  every  crevice  as  well 
as  behind  the  stones,  which  should  be  tilted 
back  a  little  to  carry  water  into  the  soil. 

This    tilting    may    be    accomplished   with 
45 


46         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

small  stone  wedges.     The  best  kind  is  a 
five-foot   retaining  wall,  as  there   is   then 


Planting  plan  of  dry  wall,  the  dark  portions  rep- 
resenting the  chief  earth-filled  crevices.  The 
plants  are:  1 — Arabis  albida;  <2 — Alyssum  saxa- 
lile;  3 — House  leek  (sempervivum)  ;  4 — Viola 
tricolor;  5 — Armeria  maritima 


a  good  body  of  soil  behind  to  which  the 
roots  can  reach  out  through  the  crevices. 
But  a.  double-faced  wall  may  be  made,  if 
the  situation  demands  it,  by  constructing 
parallel  lines  of  stones  and  filling  in 
solidly  with  soil. 

Although  the  face  of  the  wall  in  either 
case  may  be  strictly  perpendicular,  it  is 


The  Wall  Garden  47 

better  that  each  layer  should  recede  a  bit. 
Construct  it  after  the  manner  of  the  rock 


Dry  wall  for  retaining  bank.    Cross-section,  show- 
ing crevices,  soil  runs  and  tilting  of  rocks 

garden,  laying  the  stones  so  that  the  top 
will  be  level,  or  approximately  so. 

In  planting  also,  follow  the  same  rules. 
It  is  better  to  plant  as  the  work  pro- 
gresses. Either  plants  or  seed  may  be 
used.  If  it  is  seed,  press  carefully  into 
the  soil  in  the  front  of  the  crevices.  Small 
seed  may  be  mixed  in  thin  mud  and  this 
plastered  on  the  soil.  For  a  tiny  crevice 
make  a  pill  of  the  mixture. 


48         Making  a  Rock  Garden 

The  range  of  reliable  plants  that  do 
not  call  for  special  care  is  not  great  so 
far  as  the  crevices  are  concerned.  All  the 
stonecrops,  the  house  leeks,  Arabis  albida, 


Double-faced  dry  wall.  A  few  rocks  are  used 
with  the  soil  filling  and  here  and  there  one  on 
top  of  it 


red  valerian  (Centranthus  ruber),  aubrie- 
tia,  Alyssum  saxatile,  snapdragon,  wall- 
flower (Cheiranthus  Cheiri),  Kenilworth 
ivy,  Viola  tricolor,  Dianthus  plumarius, 
and  Dianthus  deltoides  are  all  very  ser- 


The  Wall  Garden  49 

viceable.  Behind  the  wall,  at  the  top,  a 
strip  of  earth  should  be  left  and  there  a 
wider  variety  of  plants  can  be  grown. 
Single  Marguerite  carnations  and  grass 
pinks  will  form  a  sort  of  cascade  of  fo- 
liage and  bloom  there  if  planted  close  to 
the  wall  or  in  the  crevices  of  the  top,  and 
a  similar  effect,  but  much  bolder,  can  be 
created  with  the  perennial  pea  (Lathyrus 
latifolius). 

If  the  dry  wall  is  already  made,  the 
crevices  can  be  plugged  with  soil  if  care 
and  patience  are  used.  Even  a  cemented 
wall  is  not  hopeless;  here  and  there  the 
mortar  can  be  chiseled  out  and  an  occa- 
sional small  stone  should  be  removed. 

A  wall  garden  has  these  advantages 
over  a  rock  garden ;  it  is  more  easily  con- 
structed, it  is  of  practical  use,  and  it  is 
sometimes  a  possibility  where  the  other  is 
not. 


WATER  AND  BOG  GARDENS 

XT  EITHER  the  water  nor  the  bog  gar-' 
^  den  is  dependent  on  rocks.  Either 
or  both,  however,  may  just  as  well  be  an 
adjunct  of  the  rock  garden.  They  solve 
the  wet  spot  problem  admirably,  permit 
the  culture  of  native  water  lilies,  orchids, 
and  numerous  other  beautiful  plants,  and 
certainly  contribute  their  share  of  pic- 
turesqueness.  If  water  is  lacking,  it  may 
often  be  introduced  at  little  expense. 

In  most  cases  it  will  be  found  that  some 
cement  construction  is  necessary,  but  not 
a  bit  of  it  should  show.  This  is  easily 
managed  by  building  a  cement  shoulder  on 
the  sides  of  the  pool  or  stream  a  little  be- 
low what  will  be  the  level  of  the  water,  and 
then  setting  rough  stones  on  that.  A 
5° 


A  little  grotto  with  trickling  water  makes  a  pic- 
turesque break  in  a  wall  garden.  If  shady, 
plant  ferns  generously 


Water  and  Bog  'Qa^en^\',\  \$tt 

cement  bottom  for  shallow  water  may  be 
disguised  by  imbedding  pebbles  and  small 
stones  in  the  cement  before  it  sets. 

Dispose  the  rocks  very  irregularly,  but 


To  conceal  the  cemented  bank  of  a  pool  or 
stream,  make  a  shoulder  eight  inches  or  so  wide 
and  about  six  inches  below  the  water  line. 
Then  place  small  rocks  on  the  shoulder 


they  ma}7  be  so  few  as  to  be  mere  notes. 
Avoid  stagnant  water,  and  if  mosquitoes 
are  feared  introduce  some  goldfish.  They 
like  mosquito  larvae. 

Water  lilies  and  sagittaria — one  plant 
will  do  if  the  pool  is  small — in  the  water 
and  near  it,  but  not  in  standing  water, 
Japanese  iris,  yellow  flag,  globe  flower,  and 
Lythrum  roseum  are  good  selections. 


'5^-        Mfkittg  a  Rock  Garden 

Forget-me-not  is  one  of  the  finest  plants 
for  the  banks.  Use  the  perennial  kind 
(Myosotis  palustrls  semperflorens). 

The  bog  garden  simply  reproduces  bog 
conditions.  As  a  rock  garden  adjunct  it 
may  be  a  small  spot  with  the  perpetually 
moist  and  moss-covered  soil  in  which  the 
native  cypripediums  and  pitcher  plants 
flourish.  Eighteen  or  twenty  inches  of 
suitable  soil,  a  mixture  of  leaf  mold,  peat, 
and  loam,  in  which  has  been  stirred  some 
sand  and  gravel,  must  be  provided.  If 
an  artificial  bog,  the  bottom  may  be  made 
of  cement  or  puddled  clay. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


MAY  14   1948 


3Mar52lU 


0  21-100m-9,'47(A5702sl6)476 


YA  0119 


252731 


